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Be Weird!
I heard a song the other day and, wouldn’t you know, I can’t find the song now. Don’t you hate when a new song comes on the radio and you think you are going to remember it, and you can’t. But I do remember that the gist of the song was about how this present world is not our home. Which has since led me to sit and ponder about the following: God’s ways not being our ways, what we see and believe is reality is only a portion of our existence that we see now through a glass darkened. This world is not our home, and if normal isn’t working then it’s time to get weird. I keep jumping in and out of those thoughts, and I vacillate between sorrow and anger. The reality I keep coming back to is that we are pilgrims in a strange land that doesn’t conform to God, but conforms to it’s own definition of reality. I have noticed this more and more in certain areas, like in relationships. We run around in a country made up of the ideals of a “nuclear family.” Everyone has 3.9 kids and a dog, along with a nice little house and a white picket fence. But what if that’s not the way it’s supposed to be? Jesus stomped around the countryside followed by the disciples and their friends. They associated with each other on a daily basis. Whether you like it or not, early Christians lived in communes and helped each other out. You can’t exist in that kind of climate and not spend lots of time together. My question then, is why is it we continually do things to distance ourselves from others? We can’t wait to get home and pull into out garages and pray no one stops us. Don’t we? We come home and lock ourselves away in houses and not want to be bothered, because we have had a tough day at work, but yet everyone is on Facebook wanting to socialize, but with protection. We want to talk to people on our terms, and if I don’t want to speak to you then I won’t. No one goes over to people’s houses to visit like they used to. My grandpa and grandma had neighbors drop by during the day, off and on. You never knew who might be out on the back porch visiting. It wasn’t a big deal. Now, let someone show up and it’s like the first thought is how can I get rid of this person. It’s sad. Now, the big day for getting together is Sunday. However, we just want that little bit of actual face time and then we want to head for home. People, we as Christians at least, need to get used to each other. Eternity is going to be a long time, and you aren’t going to be hanging out alone. First, there is going to be a lot of worship and singing time with God. Read the book of Revelation. Second, Jesus said, “In my father’s house there are many mansions.” Everyone that reads this thinks that they are going to get some 30 room mansion that is packed full of stuff. Think of TLC or HGTV when they go tour all those celebrity mansions. But, if you look at what the Bible actually says, it is “God’s house” and there are many rooms, in which you get one. You see, we are going to be roomies. YAY!!! I keep telling people this all the time. So we need to start getting used to that idea. That means, start spending time together. As Josh has said at church, and I keep reading in books and online, we make time for those things that are important. From what I see, we, myself included, don’t make enough time for Bible study and spending time with each other. I have the second one down fairly well. You can’t spend everyday with everybody, but you can and need to make an effort to see people. I am working on the first one. What if my friends don’t meet the approval of my current friends or family? My answer is to get new friends and family. You see, God’s not too concerned with you “being blood and family.” Look at Abraham. God didn’t bless him until he finally cut his family loose. Read the story. God gave that man so much time to get things figured out that it makes me grateful that He has that much patience for a hard head like me. Your being “blood” makes you related, but it doesn’t make you family. Family is something special that is built overtime and is felt. I have friends that I have basically adopted into my “family.” I love them like they are my real family, because they are “my family.” Is it perfect? No. Like all families we have fights and disagreements, but you still hang in there, because they are worth it. I don’t get to see all of them like I want to, but I try. I have doubled my brothers and sisters in the last couple years, and I am truly blessed to have this happen. I can’t really put into words how much they mean to me and how much they have brought into my life these past years. I love them all so much we went on vacation together. I have people, acquaintances and even “quote, unquote” family that look down judgmental noses and say, “Isn’t that weird?” Or my favorite, that makes me want to start swinging and swearing: “That’s weird and wrong, you should quit hanging around with those people. Up yours with a Mack truck sideways, I don’t want to be like you. I like weird. Jesus was weird.” I also would like to flash to them on my hands a seven day supply of what Christians aren’t supposed to flip. (Shout out to my old pastor Doctor Scott.) People thought Jesus was weird. At one point His family was ready to lay hands on Him. You don’t get that from normal. His reputation and the nicknames that Jesus received in His life constitutes Him being “weird.” So y’all, I’m just following in Jesus’ footsteps! I don’t know, maybe they don’t like the fact that I’m closer with the people that God has planted in my life instead of them. Last time I checked bitterness and backbiting were on God’s list of things that ticked him off. Just saying! So I have resigned myself to being weird. To my detractors, I forgive you; especially my brothers and sisters in Christ. I actually feel sorry for you. You have adopted this world’s normalcy and by doing this have judged falsely. And you have judged all others that don’t fit the world’s definition of “normal” falsely. My advice to everyone …BE WEIRD, because normal just doesn’t work. Grace and Peace to Y’all! =S= ~ ~ ~ The opinions, beliefs & viewpoints expressed by the various authors on this website do not necessarily reflect the opinions, beliefs & viewpoints of Trinity Press or The Truth Foundation. Category:OpEd Category:Theology Category:Shawn Williams